Adjusting mechanism for propeller-blades



H. D. PkOPLES AND GA. W. BIDYKUFFER.

ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR PHOPELLERv BLADES. APPLlcATIoN HLED Nov. 3u, 1917.

l1 ,329,47 3. Patented, Feb. 3,1920.

' UNITED sTATEs PATEisiT ormoni ,HAROLD D. PEorLEs AND GEORGE w. EIDYKQEEER, or soMEEDALE, loHIo'.

` ADJUSTING MEGHANISM FOR PVOPELLER-BLADES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led November 30,.,1917. Serial No. 204,788.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, HAROLD D. PEOPLES and GEORGE W. BIDYKOEFER, citizens of the United States, residing at Somerdale, in the county of Tuscarawas and the State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Adjusting Mechanism for Propeller-Blades, of whichy the following is a specification. *Y

The present invention relates to propellers, and more particularly to means for adjusting the blades of the propellers to increase or reverse the resistance of the same to the fluid medium in which the propeller is operated.

The object of the present invention is .to

provide an adjusting device, of this charac` ter which is relatively simple in construction, light in weight, and compact for applicationto air craft and the like where such characteristics are required; to provide a device which is operable 0n alll of the' blades of the propeller simultaneouslyyand to provide a device which may be adjusted or operated during the rotation of the propeller and without disconnecting the same from the source of power, the device being constructed to gradually change the positions of the blades to prevent undue shock and strain upon the mechanism transmitting power to the propeller.

The above, and various other objects and i advantages o f this invention will be in part described, and in part understood, from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment,'the samebeing `l illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a propeller blade adjusting device constructed according to present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse' sect-ion taken through the propeller in the medial plane thereof,-

the blades being broken away.

Fig is a detail pers t've view of the shifting means employe 4 Fig. 4 1s a detail perspectivevieviT of the hub or block upon which the blades areV mounted, and to which the adjusting device is applied.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a driven shaft adapted to be connected to a motor in any suitable manner, and u on Vthe outer end of which is mounted a ub or block 11 of substantially circular contour.l

The hub 11 is provided with radial openingsl Patented Feb. 3, 19.20.

12 which extend frorna point spacedfrom I y blades 13, and are held therein by rivets 15 securedtransversely through the blades 18 j andthe journals 1-1. The inner endso'f the blades 13 are seated against the peripheral surface of the' hub 11, andthe latter is preferably flattened at such points to provide 1 bearing surfaces 16 for supporting the the radial openings 12, and the-inner ends of 'the journals lfl'project into the radial openings and provide rotatablesupportsfor the blades 13.

The block or hub 11 is providedwith a 80 circular concentric row of transverse slots or apertures 17 arranged to intersect the radial openings 12 near the axis of the'hub,

blades. These lsurfaces 16 are formed about' l and which are preferably offset slightly i longitudinally from the axis of the openings 12 fora purpose which will hereinafter.

appear. The journals' 14 have eachv a inion 18 fixed thereto intermediate its en sand adapted to lie-within the adjacent slot 17. The slots 17 are offset as above described to provide guideways in one end of each slot between the adjacent pinion and the end wall ofthe slot for the reception of rack bars 1'9.

The .rack bars correspondin number to 'that l of the slots 17 and are held in meshing relation to the pinions 18 at all times.

The rack bars-19 are pivotally mountedupon a carrier disk 20 slidable mounted upon the shaft 10 and movable toward and from .the hub 11. Each rack 'bar 19 has at its inner end adjacent the disk 20 a pair of laterally extending spaced apart lugs 21 receiving therebetween an ear 22 projecting from the .disk 20; A bolt QBpivotally connects the year between the lugs to' hinge the rack bar to the disk. The inner ends of the rack bars 19 are flat and lada ted to engage against vthe flat surface oft e disk 20 to hold the' rack bars from undue vibration on' the disk. The rack bars 19 arer arranged-u n the disk to engage. the teeth of the rac bars with the pinions 18 when the rack bars are 1ny serted through the'slots 17.

4The disk 20 has a peripheral annular groove in which is Seated a split ring 24, the sections of Which have outturned angesi 25 at the meeting ends ot' the sections, and which are held together by bolts 2G. A link 27 has forked arms 28 at one end secured to the flanges 25 of the ring 2l and pivotally connected at 29 to an intermediate portion of a hand lever 3() fulcrunied at 31 to a suitable support or bracket 32. rIvhe ring 2t may be provided with a lubricator 33 mounted on the upper side of the ring and adapted to feed ay lubricant to the groove of the disk 20 for reducing frictional contact between the ring` and the disk, and admit the free rotation of the latter in the ring.

Inoperation, it is" apparent that the shaft '10 may be rotated in the desired direction and at the desired speed to turn the hub 11 and its blades 13 together With the disk '20 which is connected to the hub by the rack bars 19. While this rotation takes place, the hand lever may be moved .1n either direction upon its plvot 31 to shift the disk 20 by means of the relatively stationary split ring 24 and move the rack bars longitudinally through the slots or perforations 17. When the rack bars are shiftedr struction. and the parts are so peculiarly combined that all ot the parts may be made relatively strong, and relatively smallto the details of construction and design of the 1 above specifically described embodiment of the 1nvent1on w1thout departing` from the spirit thereof, the changes and modilications being restricted only by the scope of the` following claim.

What is claimed is:

In a propeller blade adi usting device, the combination of a shaft, a hub mounted on the shaft, blades carried by the hub and having journal portions keyed in the hub, 1`inions on said journal portions, racks eX- tending slidably through the hub and engaging said pinions, a disk mounted upon said shattjfor rotating therewith and for slidable movement along the shaft, ears projecting laterally from one face or' the disk, laterally extending spaced'ears formed upon said racks and extending outwardly from their toothed faces, the ears upon said rack engaging upon opposite sides of the corresponding ears upon said disk, means pivotally connecting the. rack earriedears to the disk carried ears for pivotally connecting said racks to said disks, and means for shifting said disks longitudinally upon said shaft.

HAROLD D. PEOPLES. 'GEORGE W. BIDYKOFFER. 

